At first, it’s nothing.
Toni leans in to hear Renzo better. He answers her with an attentiveness that reminds me of how Nico talks to me these days.
There’s something unmistakable in the way Renzo angles his body toward her, the way Toni forgets toperform and becomes intensely herself—curious, sharp, unguarded.
I sip my wine and study them surreptitiously.
It’s subtle enough to be deniable, but real enough that once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
Interesting.
Nico catches my glance and raises an eyebrow, a silent question in his eyes.
“How well does Renzo know Toni?” I ask softly, for his ears only.
He raises an eyebrow. “I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
“He’s…much older than her.”
“He is.”
“He has a reputation of being a ladies' man worse than yours,” I add with a cheeky smile.
He kisses my nose. “I can’t look away from you,cara. You’re all I see.”
Tears fill my eyes at that praise. Everyone notices. Especially my sisters.
My happiness is so big that it’s ready to leap out of my chest.
I let the incident at Suvereto go. I’m not going to hold onto inconsequential things like that when a man looks at me the way Nico does.
He kisses me then. Soft. Long. Complete.
Alba snaps her fingers. “Cut it out, you two.”
“Hey, I’m too young to see this kind of debauchery.” Toni smiles so wide that her face looks like it must be hurting.
The sommelier arrives, breaking the moment and we talk wine for a moment—vintages, balance, Alighieri wines.
“Nico, your tastes are too expensive,” Alba accuses after he orders.
He flicks the Bulgari earrings she’s wearing. “Alba,tesoro, these tell a different story about who has expensive tastes at this table.”
Alba points to Toni’s bracelet, who raises both her hands. “I only wear what she buys. So it’s not my fault.”
“Except for the Maserati,” Alba accuses.
Toni lifts her shoulders in a helpless gesture. “Alessia gave it to me as a birthday present, what did you want me to do? Return it?”
Nico looks at me, brows furrowed.
“She likes cars,” I explain.
“So, we have you to blame for her reckless driving,” Renzo accuses as he glares at Toni.
I raise a hand. “Toni is a lot of things but she’snotreckless.“
Toni sticks her tongue out at Renzo. “See! You want me to drive like your nonna.”
